The Darkest Cure
by Tinuviel's Undomiel
Summary: Ever since they were damned by the gods of Olympus, the Lords of the Underworld took up residence in Budapest. Lakena is the Lady Keeper, of a promiscuous, wrathful, violent, pain-loving, death-defying demon. Torin has loved the fallen daughter of Zeus from afar for millennia. How much longer will he be able to look and not touch? Disease wants a cure and only one woman has it...
1. Chapter One: A Close Encounter

_**Chapter 1: A Close Encounter**_

Lakena fingered the Rosario around her neck. The cemetery was dark and eerie. She looked at Cameo, who stood next to her.

They were here for Hunters. Anya, Goddess of Anarchy, had warned them of their enemy's whereabouts. She lived with the Lords of the Underworld, being thought of as angels and demons. The few who had deemed them demonic were unknowingly right.

Lucien, Keeper of Death, was her twin brother. Maddox, Keeper of Violence; Reyes, Keeper of Pain; Paris, Keeper of Promiscuity; Torin, Keeper of Disease, and Aeron, Keeper of Wrath. Theses men were her warriors; her brothers. They were immortal warriors, doomed to house demons even _Hell_ would not keep.

However, Lakena was a different story. She was immortal as well, but why she was doomed to stay with them, no one knew. She should have died thousands of years ago, during the Grecian Wars, but she did not. Like Cameo, she was a warrior, and she felt as cursed as the Mistress Misery. Lakena's demon was unknown; close to Death, but also close to Pain. Her Wrath was not taken lightly, and she fought like Violence to control it. She felt as though she had a bit of every demon in Budapest, save Disease and _most_ of Promiscuity.

She held powers like Lucien, but they were not like Death's. She could control lightning and electricity, even fire. In the beginning, like most of the Lords, she was not capable of having a tight reign over her abilities. Those were the dark days; destruction and pain were constant in their lives.

Her power for lightning extended to electricity. She was even able to generate her own electric current, and use it has a protective barrier on her skin, but she did not do it often. Only when she fought Hunters and sparred with the others. Only when she was provoked, her anger over-powering her, did she lose control. Electric currents, lightning, and fire were her last resorts in a fight.

Lakena looked around again, and tugged on the Rosario she wore. The Rosario sealed her greatest power: her vampirism. Somehow while being inhabited by partials of multiple demons; she was cursed with the poison of a vampire's blood and spirit. The spirit died away, but her body used the blood to maintain life. This was why she depended on blood more than the others did. In this state, her powers become enhanced and her chances for death were nil.

She was an immortal being, more so than the others, being an actual child of Zeus. Lakena ate human food most of the time, but every now and then, she bit someone. Of course, whether Aeron was around or not, Paris always offered himself up as a "sacrifice for others' well-immortal-being." She shook her head, realizing she had stood in the same spot for a while now.

"Lakena?" Cameo called. Misery seeped through her sad voice, making her heart clench.

The others were ahead of her, a couple of feet away. Sabin, Keeper of Doubt, scanned the area, and then turned his gaze on her. Gideon, Keeper of Lies, stood next to him with Lucien and Amun. Aeron stepped forward.

"What's wrong, Lakena?" he asked her.

"Nothing." her voice seemed a bit distant. Reyes and Paris stood behind Lucien, daggers and swords gripped in their hands. Lucien held a 9 millimeter.

"What's she doing?" Sabin said. He had never seen the Rosario before.

"Nothing." she repeated, closing the distance between her and Aeron, but she sidestepped him. She trudged over the grass, and stepped over tombstones. Aeron followed her until she came to stand beside Cameo. He came up behind her but passed her, and their fingers interlocked for two seconds, max. Lakena let him go stand between Sabin and Lucien.

The graveyard was quiet, but the night was clear of sound. Lucien had told them where their traps were, using a map. They avoided each one.

"Kane. Torin. Come in, over." Sabin said into the walkie-talkie he held in his hand.

Static. Lucien sighed.

"Where are they?" Lakena asked. Paris shook his blonde head.

"I don't like this, Luci."

"Neither do I." Reyes put in.

"Love it." They ignored Gideon.

One second, the world was silent.

"Aeron, someth-" The next, Lakena was cut off by a large _boom!_ A grenade had blown up behind Lakena and Cameo. There seemed to be a duel to see whose scream was more bloodcurdling.


	2. Chapter Two: A Discovery

**_Chapter 2: A Discovery_**

Lucien and the others were quiet when they returned to the fortress. On the way home they found out that Kane had been taken by the Hunters. They never saw Torin. Amun was silent still, as he leaned Gideon against the wall.

Lucien watched Maddox run down the steps, only wearing black pants. He looked like he had just woken up. The Keeper of Death wiped a sooted hand over an even more sooted face. His warriors were injured; Aeron was shouting foul words and going crazy over Lakena, and the human girl and her family. Lakena was in an even more critical condition than the rest of them.

A grenade had exploded behind her and Cameo, although the Keeper of Misery had been farther away.

_Only the left side of her face was burned. _

Lakena's whole back had been burned. Her shirt, what hadn't been melted into her back had been burned off. But Lucien wasn't concerned. He could feel her spirit; more there than ever before. If they didn't get the shrapnel out of her back, she wouldn't be able to heal and she would die. If she was able to heal, then they had to get it out or it would be stuck in her back. Having to take out the metal beneath already healing skin and scars would hurt like hell. Lakena could die. Lucien knew this for a fact.

"What happened?" Maddox asked, his eyes wide. Paris grunted on the couch. He lay on his back, and you could see the bone in his forearm popping out and breaking skin.

"We were bombed," Lucien said as Aeron let out a string of curses.

"By Hunters?" Reyes nodded at the question. He pulled off the melting boots on his feet. Pain smiled. Blisters bubbled on his feet as he slid out of the chair and sat next to Lakena.

Maddox had moved over to Lucien. His expression was calm, but his eyes were clouded with pain and worry. It was as if Death himself was in pain. A very feminine gasp was heard in the room. Maddox whirled around; Ashlyn stood at the top of the steps, looking at them. His violet eyes were wide as he quickly moved to block her from the Lords' view.

"So, the human is yours," Sabin eyed him before looking to Lucien.

"Ashlyn," Maddox turned to face her. "Please, go get some towels from my bathroom." he told her. She nodded, silent and wide-eyed, and disappeared down the hall.

Aeron raked a hand down his face over and over. They's have to lock him up soon...

"Where's Torin?" Lucien shook his head, not knowing the answer to Maddox's question. Reyes shook his head as well, grabbing Lakena's hand. As Pain, it was his duty to stay close to his brothers, and the demon could feed off them. Lakena was the most delicious thing in the world at the moment.

"Lucien," Reyes spoke just before Lakena let out a shrill cry of pain. She was awake now, despite Death's hopes that his sister wouldn't have come to until later. He'd hoped to extract the metal from her back and clean out the wound so she wouldn't scar. But, that wasn't an option now. They would have to get it out while she was awake.

Lakena could heal within minutes, but the metal in her back wouldn't let her heal without leaving some type of damage.

Pain and Death would stay at her side until then. Lucien could feel her growing weaker, and didn't know why. He closed his eyes, and ventured into the spirit world, taking his body with him. Lucien stared at Lakena's body. Spirit wise, her emotions were strong. He mostly saw white around her, which she was afraid; and she had every right to be. He could only assume she was afraid of the demon inside of him, giving her soul away to the Underworld.

_The Underworld?!_ he thought. _If anyone was to be barred from entering Hell, it would be little Lakena._

_Are you so sure?_ the demon spoke for the first time in a while.

_What do you mean?_ Lucien's brow furrowed.

Lucien didn't want to judge his sister's soul; by the Gods, she wasn't even dead!

_Yet. _the demon said sadly. It was sad for her, he knew that must. It was safe to say that Lakena harbored a peice of every demon, from Death to Hope. He shook his feelings away, and looked at her again. He saw grey- guilt.

_What does she have to guilty for?_

_Try who._ the demon told him in a whisper. What? Lucien returned to the living.

"What did you mean by 'who'"? he muttered.

"What?" Sabin said to him. Lakena moaned in pain.

"What? Nothing. We need to get the metal out of her back before she fully heals. And before we leave."

"Before we leave?" Paris echoed from the couch. He sat up, and looked at him.

"We're going after _dim0inuk._ Pandora's box."


	3. Chapter Three: The Rescue

**_Chapter 3: The Rescue_**

Torin wheezed as he laid on the floor, blood pooling around him.

_Ambushed!_ His mind reeled and shouted. _How did this happen?_

Torin knew. Hunters ambushed both him, and Kane, Keeper of Disaster. The two of them had gone to the cemetery to scope things out. He'd known something terrible would happen, he'd been waiting for it, but this? Being ambushed by Hunters was not on the list of disasters he'd come up with.

Torin couldn't blame Kane for this one; none of them could. Nothing this bad had happened before, expect for Baden. That was bad, and it wasn't even Kane's demon's fault.

How could they have been _ambushed_ by those damned Hunters?!

He wheezed again as he heard footsteps down the hallway. He couldn't breath right; couldn't call for help.

"Torin!" a voice called. It was Maddox!

A second later, Violence rushed into the room, wearing only his black boxers. Torin reached for Maddox with a bloody gloved hand.

"Don't worry, brother," he said as he lifted Torin from the floor and laid him on the bed. "You'll be fine, I promise."

Torin made the 'k' sound, trying to say Kane's name. It was all the Keeper of Disease could manage. He wheezed again and grabbed Maddox's arm. He was scared, that much Maddox knew and could see in his eyes.

"Sleep, Torin. I'll get help." Maddox's voice drifted away and the world turned to darkness.


	4. Chapter Four: Painkillers

**_Chapter 4: Pain Killers_**

The pain was excruciating. Every time Lakena took in a breath, each movement she made, however small made her body shiver in pain. She'd screamed her head off when she'd been laid out on the floor, and again, when Lucien flashed her upstairs.

Aeron stayed as long as he could, but Sabin, Paris, and Gideon had been forced to lock him in one of the cells of the dungeon. Cameo sat in a chair next to the bed as Lucien tore away the burned fabric from his sister's back. Cameo helped by removing her dagger, sword, and boots.

Lakena groaned and started to cry. Reyes grabbed her hand as he sat opposite Cameo.

"Lucien, are we going to put her out?" Death paused in his cutting and tearing. He hadn't thought about it.

"Can we?

"I should have a few darts left," Paris replied. Whenever Lakena was out of control with bloodlust, or when she couldn't control whatever demon resided inside of her, Paris pumped her with horse tranquilizer darts. Three to four usually did the job of knocking her out long enough for the demon to crawl back into whatever hole it crawled out of, but on the really bad days, 6 were needed. A shot full of tranquilizer was in each appropriate room, just in case.

"Go get them," Reyes told him. Promiscuity nodded and didn't protest the command and quickly returned with a shotgun in hand. Sabin had followed him in. Doubt's gaze flickered from Death to Promiscuity to the unknown demon.

"What's going on?" he said to no one in particular.

"Paris, just give her one." Paris nodded in response and emptied the shotgun of tranquilizer darts.

"What is he doing?" Sabin demanded.

"This is so she will not be in pain. We need to get the metal out of her back so she can heal properly." Sabin cocked his head to the side.

"I like the sound of that," Gideon said as he entered the room.

"She might die." Cameo's voice was sadder than usual, and they all wanted to shoot each other; they thought of it as mercy killings. Lakena whimpered, and Cameo took her hand.

"We have to take a chance, damn it," Lucien said. Paris held the dart in one hand and smoothed the hair from Lakena's face with the other.

"Kena, I'm going to stick you with this dart, okay honey? I promise it won't hurt that much. It'll just make you go to sleep."

"It hurts so bad. Kill me…" Lakena's voice was small and weak as she spoke. Her breathing was fast and shallow from the pain. Sabin cringed at the pain her voice. Gods, Reyes would be soaking up all the pain, and his demon would be sated. At the moment, Kena seemed to be possessed by Pain and Misery's voice.

"Honey, it will make you go to sleep. Soon you won't be in pain anymore. I promise. Just go to sleep, pretty girl," Paris cooed.

"Nooo… Hurts too much…" Lucien sighed and nodded.

"Find him," she murmured. "Find my warrior..." Paris stiffened, but he talked to Lakena as he pushed the dart into her arm, tapping the vein. With the power of Paris' voice and the tranquilizer, Lakena's eyes began to close. Two seconds later and she looked to be asleep, but with a furrowed brow and a set to her face.

_Even in sleep, she could feel the pain,_ said Reyes' demon in a sad voice. He shook his head.

_You have what you wanted, now leave the poor woman be,_ he thought.

"Don't worry, Kena. You'll be good as new when you wake up," Cameo said. Paris nodded to Lucien and Reyes to get to work; Amun was standing in the corner of the room, his face twisted. Paris met his eyes, but the look they shared went unnoticed, save by Sabin.

Who was Lakena talking about? Sabin had a feeling that Paris and Amun knew something the others didn't.


	5. Chapter Five: Flashback

**_Chapter 5: Flashback_**

The darkness was all-consuming. Lakena swan through dark seas and sank deeper into the darkness. A face swam past her line of vision, and she furrowed her brow. She saw green eyes and what seemed like a gray streak of hair.

"Torin!" she called to it. His body seemed to materialize in front of her. Only his pale face and his silver hair could be seen. His hands and arms were covered in his custom-made black gloves, and, of course, he wore full black.

He gave her a soft smile and stepped toward her. To her, he glided forward as if his feet weren't even toughing the ground, wherever it was. She herself felt weightless, like a feather. Looking down at herself, Lakena gasped. She wore a deep blue gown that trailed behind her like a river. Lakena looked up to see Torin reaching for her, even though he still stood a few feet away.

Torin's green eyes glowed just as his face was illuminated with a happy smile. _She_ made him smile like that. Lakena smiled back, and suddenly felt like she was being pulled. Pulled towards Torin. His silver hair glowed like his handsome face and green eyes.

Torin glowed like the moon. And Lakena was being pulled towards him like the tide. _So I must be his ocean,_ she thought.

The closer she got to him, the more he glowed and the bigger his smile became. When she was standing in front of him, she leaned in close to him.

"Lakena…" She looked up at him because of how alluring his voice was. His breath brushed her cheek, making her shiver; it was cold. She'd somehow ended up pressed against his body, so he'd felt her shake. His brow furrowed, but then that smile spread over his face again in an instant. That's when she saw the fangs. And the bite mark.

"Oh, Torin who-"

"Do you not remember that night? That first night when you bit me?" The darkness had gone silent. Torin ran his fingers over her arms, leaving a path of electric warmth.

Lakena saw the fangs as he smiled again and she stared, wide-eyed.

"Oh my Gods…." She gasped.

"What's wrong?" Torin repeated. "Do you not remember the night you bit me? The night we screamed each other's names in ecstasy? The night _you cured me_?" Torin's brow furrowed for a second time.

Oh, she remembered that night like it had happened before the sun rose that morning. If anything, she remembered that night _clearly…_


	6. Chapter Six: Provoking Bloodlust

_**Chapter 6: Provoking Bloodlust**___

Lakena stirred in her sleep. It had been a long night, what with dealing with the Hunters and Maddox's woman. Ashlyn was a pretty human with very light brown hair and eyes to match. But Lakena didn't trust herself around the woman, and Violence would kill her if she lost control. Even with Sabin's demon, there was no doubt about that.

A grunt came from behind her, and Lakena turned in the bed to see a massively tattooed chest. Heat ran through her, and she stiffened. Aeron's arms wrapped around her, and she immediately relaxed as she was pressed against his body. He sighed in his sleep, and Lakena half-smiled to herself. This was really the only time they had peace, or at least, they could pretend. Even this hour of night was open to attacks from Hunters; they obviously hadn't managed to factor in hours needed for sleep.

A knock came from the other side of the door, and neither of them moved. A couple of minutes passed, and the knock was repeated. Sighing, Lakena managed to slip out from Aeron's sleepy bear-hug and grabbed one of the shirts on the floor. She tugged on the large shirt; she realized how big Aeron was compared to her. She had to look like some sort of child.

Lakena shook off the feeling of being shrunk like those kids in that one movie Reyes managed to find and made them watch, and slowly moved to the door. She stood for a second, sensing the person on the other side of the door wasn't hostile. Lakena opened the door, and her eyes widened in surprise. Torin was standing in front of her.

"Torin?" she said. "What's wrong? Are there any Hunters?" she asked him, even though she felt no hostile vibes in the hallway.

"Well, no, I could see no Hunter disturbance on the monitors..." he told her, in a slightly vague answer. _Well, that's not like him at all,_ she thought. His green eyes seemed to take her in as he looked her figure up and down.

"Alright then. What... Do you want, exactly?" she asked him bluntly.

"Well, can I talk to Aeron? Is he even awake?" His sharp gaze flickered past her. Lakena turned back to look at Aeron. His tattoos were in plain sight; because of them, women normally gave Aeron a wide birth, as they did Lucien. He usually got some of Paris' left over women if they managed to find a Lord, other than Torin, since he never really left the fortress. She turned back to the man in question. Torin was... _beautiful._

He looked like a wingless angel of Death as he stood in front of her.

Lakena felt her eyes widen and she shook her head. That was the bloodlust talking. She wasn't sure hoe she was attracted to him, but she was. It was the effect she had on people, humans and immortals alike: they were attracted to her physically, and on a deeper level; one that was controlled by a more impulsive part of the body. She figured the Lords (at least the ones in Budapest) had built up a slight immunity to the alluring atmosphere around her. Lakena hadn't bitten anyone in days... Or was it weeks?

The past few days or weeks had been going by in a blur as she fought off the hunger. There were more important things to be done; what with Ashlyn and the Hunters showing up, and the search for Pandora's box... Once again, for the umpteenth time in the past weeks, she fought off the hunger. There were the women Lucien had locked in his room, Danika and the others... Her mouth watered.

"Lakena?" She jumped.

"Wha- I'm sorry." She looked at him. "Aeron's asleep..."

"Well, that's all right. I wanted to speak to you anyways... Come on," Torin said. She cocked her head to the side.

"Oh... Where are we going?" she asked him, as she looked back at Aeron before closing the door behind her.

"I just need to show you something," he told her. The answer was vague, but she nodded and followed him anyway. He silently lead her to his room, and closed the door behind once she walked in.

Lakena's eyes went immediately to all the computer screens that occupied the wall adjacent to the door. They hummed in unison; the noise annoying at first, but she got used to it, with her acute hearing.

"How the hell do you sleep with all this noise?" she asked him, looking at the monitors, then Torin. He shrugged.

"Got used to it," he told her simply, making it sound like he had something else on his mind, like he had an ulterior motive. Which he did. "I've got something to tell you." He had stepped up behind her as she gazed at the monitor screen, and she whirled around to face him.

"You sound serious." She looked up at him. Even though she and Cameo were immortal, they were both an inch or three shorter than the Lords. "Are you okay?" he nodded, and quickly glanced down at the switchblade in his hand. It was plainly visible. He looked down at her with big green eyes.

"I've seen what happens to people after you bite them. Man or woman, they act like they've just been with Paris..." Lakena nodded slowly, eyed the blade, then took a step back from him.

"Yes, but it's the venom on my fangs. They cause the endorphins in the brain, and put the pituitary- Wait. What are you doing with that switchblade?" she asked quickly, backing away into the far corner.

"I should say that's obvious, Kena. I noticed how you haven't had any blood in the past couple of weeks..."

_Not good. _Lakena thought. _Not good at all. How did he know? Is it that obvious? How di- _She watched as Torin raised the blade to his neck.

He was _Disease_! All of things, as much as she wanted to now, Torin knew he should be the last person Lakena should bite. Being Disease meant you barred yourself from any human relationships; you couldn't stand being the one to unintentionally kill thousand because of a soft, single touch. He'd done that before, and he'd learned his lesson... But Lakena was hungry, he'd seen the way the demon purred at the mortals. But she refrained from their blood, and as a result was getting weak with hunger. She was too good for her own good.

Torin dug the blade into his neck.

"_Oh my Gods!_ Torin, you shouldn't-" She braced herself against the wall. Her body had gone rigid as her eyes closed and her nostrils flared. The scent of blood filled the room; Disease ridden or not, it smelled too damn good.

Torin winced and watched quietly as Lakena took deep breaths. He watched her as her fangs elongated, but her eyes were still closed. "Lakena?" Torin warily called her name.

She winced at the sound of her voice and groaned as she arched her back. Markings appeared on her body, slowly forming in an intricate design all over her face, and from what Torin could see of the rest of her body. Her cheeks were flushed as she opened her eyes. Torin gasped, and she moaned.

Her eyes were a scarlet, blood-red color.


	7. Chapter Seven: A Promiscuous Secret

**_Chapter 7: A Promiscuous Secret_**

Amun sat in the entertainment room with Paris, Sabin and Gideon. He was playing poker with Sabin and Gideon while Paris was spread out on the couch, watching one of his movies.

Gideon sighed. Lies was losing and didn't need Doubt's help. He had a terrible poker-face. Amun, on the other hand, was very good at poker; keeping his face in the same blank, and somewhat serious expression. Gideon ended up folding, and was now asleep in one of the recliners between the television, and the couch off to the side by the window. Sabin glanced up at the Keeper of Secrets, and shook his head.

"I fold." he sighed. Amun was glad Strider wasn't playing; Defeat would have taken everything and then probably gloat about how no one could beat him.

"I'm going to bed," Amun nodded and glanced over at Gideon, asleep in the recliner and slightly snoring. "No, I'll just leave him there." Paris answered the unspoken question.

He sat up when Sabin had left the room. Amun stared blankly ahead, wide-eyed and rigid, making Promiscuity furrow his brow.

"What's up?" he asked. His movie had already ended. Secrets shook himself and shook his head as if he was shaking away a terrible thought. Amun got up from the table and Paris followed him just as silently out of the room.

Secrets and Promiscuity were not a good combination in mortal lives, although they hadn't seen each other in a little over a thousand years. The two Lords spoke little on the way to their rooms. Well, Paris spoke a little, and Amun was forced to listen. Being the Keeper of Secrets meant that talking was a rarity, seeing as how he can spill every can of beans he knew about. Amun and Paris took the normal route to their rooms: up the stairs, down the corridor on the second floor, past Aeron and Lakena's room, up another flight of stairs, past the dark hall that lead directly to Torin's room (which resided at the end of it), and there they were. Paris' room was on the fourth floor, and Amun's was just up another flight of stairs on the fifth.

Amun and Paris were quiet, and the two Lords exchanged a glance when the sounds of glass smashing on hard stone emanated from down the hallway. They were slow and cautious when moving down the dark hallway to the oak door that opened into Torin's room.

They knew him to be very calm, and intelligent, with a humor as dark as one could imagine if they were a situation like his. _So why would there be glass smashing?_ they both thought.

A thump was heard and a grunt afterwards. Promiscuity charged forward. Amun rushed after him, knowing he thought Disease to be in trouble. A moan stopped them both in their tracks.

Paris turned to Amun, eyes wide with alarm, but unsure as to what to do. Being Promiscuity, Paris could uncannily sense certain things. He had a feeling that what was happening beyond Torin's door wasn't supposed to be happening...


	8. Chapter Eight: The Cure

_**Chapter 8: The Cure**_

Amun and Paris looked at each other. Neither one of them could believe would they'd heard, having to look to the other for confirmation. Secrets and Promiscuity were in the same boat for one thing.

Paris's heart raced, but Amun's face was blank. He almost looked pale, ashen, with those wide, dark eyes that saw nothing. Paris was thoroughly worried, and to be honest with himself, he didn't know how to the hell he should react.

"Maybe we should..." Promiscuity didn't finish his sentence, not sure how to act or what to do. What he seriously wanted to do, was turn around and make like he hadn't heard what he hadn't heard, or seen what he hadn't seen.

If anything, he simply wanted to go to his room, and stare at the only picture of Sienna he had. Amun took a step forward, his hand reaching for the door knob. Paris put a hand on his wrist.

"Wait," he said. "You already know what's going on in there, don't you?" Amun stared at him, then looked to the door. He's never been able to say anything, since he is the Keeper of Secrets. Being as such, if he were to ever try and say anything, Amun would be subjected to severe pain, like Gideon did whenever he told the truth.

Speaking would provoke the demon within to tell all the secrets Amun had ever learned int he world. Telling those secrets would ruin lives, and this newest endeavor would possibly destroy two people he'd come to care about.

Amun sighed deeply, perplexed like Paris. The two demon-possessed lords stood before the daunting door, afraid to open it and confirm their sudden fears.

The room was was just off the normal axis. It was hard for him to concentrate without getting dizzy. Taking in a deep breath, Torin opened his eyes. The hum of the monitors was low, but he heard it, and it gave him comfort.

He furrowed his brow, hearing a small whimpering sound. Torin's green eyes widened as he looked around. His skin felt heated, but his head felt... dizzy. The world was spinning, and he was unsure as to why.

Torin took a deep breathe, smelling a sweet scent. the sheet around him were damp and cold, but he was still confused. Hearing the noise again, Torin sat up in bed to see that his sheets were bloody. Thy weren't drenched, but it was just your average blood-stains sheets...

"The hell?" he said. He turned his gaze to a dark corner of the room. "Kena?" Torin moved off the bed, and found himself completely naked.

"Lakena," he called for her again, this time his voice a little louder, more worried.

"Oh god, what have I done to you?" a whispered cry came from the shadowy corner. "This isn't right..." she told him, leaning against the wall.

"You haven't done anything to me... Except, giving me the best night of my life since..." Lakena shook her head, and ran her fingers through her hair.

"I didn't mean to... That is, I had no intention of draining you..."

"Oh, sure you didn't. " his tone was teasing. She hadn't heard him tease her in a long time. He shook his head, moving to her side. "How do you know what it feels like? Have you ever bitten yourself? I'm sure you would feel nothing because the endorphins and the serotonin originate from you..." She shivered against him. "Gods, it felt too god for words, Kena. Come back to bed. Come back to me."

"Torin, no, we can't. Not again." He was the Keeper of Disease, and she was something else altogether. Torin hadn't touched another human being in hundreds of years, and now that he had...

"Please," he said, whispering in her ear. "Come back to bed." he pressed himself against her, and his hands were on her waist. In all their naked glory, Torin could only feel happiness. A happiness that seemed to lift him out of the fog of being possessed by the one demon that could not be touched.

"Come back to bed. Please, for thousands of years, I've waited...I've _wanted_."

She turned into him, and Torin sucked on a scratch on his arm. "Are you hurt?"

"I'll heal," he told her, claiming her mouth as he had before. Lakena moaned, but didn't protest his touch as he lifted her and carried her to the bed.

He hadn't noticed that the door was slightly more open now; he hadn't noticed that they were being watched, by his brothers, no less. There was another thing that Torin didn't notice at all last night: his hair was no longer silver-gray.

It was pitch black.


	9. Chapter Nine: The Morning After

**_Chapter 9: The Morning After_**

The light of day peeked in through the dark curtains on the window. The sun was closed to noon, what with the time being late morning. The hum of the series of monitors lining the wall was a constant sound, which one either completely ignored or quickly got used to.

The rest of the bedroom was a mess, and the evidence of it being a _bed_room remained to be seen. Tattered sheets and the feathery contents of pillows scattered the room. The wrought-iron framed, four-postered bed had only three remaining with one that looked as though someone had squeezed it to almost nothing.

On the bed was a tangle of arms and legs, bare, pale, and smooth in what little sunlight that found its way into the room. A sigh broke the eternal silence, and a dark head emerged from the two tangled bodies.

Lakena ran her finger in circles on Torin's hard chest. Its slight lift and fall were the only moves he made; he was in a deep sleep due to sated exhaustion and blood loss. Lakena's body was stiff, and she stifled a groan. A thousand years and Torin had turned into a sex god whose coercive powers rivaled Sabin's Doubt and Paris' Promiscuity. Torin had plenty of the latter, having no human contact since the Plague. Not being a human meant Lakena could become immune to Disease, but that was nothing compared to Torin's endurance.

A recap of the night before flashed through Lakena's mind, and she lingered on the details...

_Her eyes had burned into a blood red, and Torin had smiled. Lakena let out a moan, since she hadn't fed in weeks. Torin turned the blood-lust against her, and she couldn't resist anymore. _She needed to feed.

_Holding his hand out for her, Lakena stalked to him, and gave him what he wanted: skin to skin contact. They both knew what it meant to touch Torin, but she couldn't blame him, not fully. So many times, for many years, Lakena had wondered what it was like, letting her mind wonder to the hidden secrets of Torin's mind and body. She'd known him when he was warrior, but as the favored daughter of the King of the Gods, she remained untouchable. And after taking part in the betrayal, Kena forced herself away from the touch of men. She hadn't been with any man, save Torin. _

_Truth be told, that was a complete and utter lie that her mind had just conjured up as rationale for being with Torin. She'd bitten Aeron so many times, she'd had him at least once or twice (after begging while under the influence. Hell, she'd even gone after Paris, and drove him mad with lust. Aeron hadn't been around, and Lucien and Maddox were out in town. She was thirsty and Torin hadn't been an option. She felt horrible after that, and hadn't touched anyone until Aeron last night. The unbidden truth was that she had loved him for a thousand years, but being unable to touch him had her direct her urges elsewhere._

_But Torin... His blood was different. Perhaps it was because he was Disease. Either way, that didn't stop either of them from doing what they shouldn't have. Torin had known things about her body that she had never known; such was his love for her then and now. _

_His erection had pressed against her lower stomach, and the thin barrier of pajama pants and an over-sized t-shirt didn't do anything to block the naked heat. He somehow knew she was basically naked beneath Aeron's t-shirt and rubbed her inner thighs. She was already wet and moaning when Torin pushed a finger inside of her._

_"Gods, you're tight," he's said. He literally had her in the palm of his hand, and he wasn't going to let go. Not this time. Not ever._

_ He lifted her up and held her against the wall, but her fangs were still embedded in his neck. Torin grinded against her and her body reacted with her nipples budding into peaks and her back arching. The friction as he grinded against her and pushed another finger into the treasure hidden beneath the dark curls between her legs was almost unbearable._

_"Not yet," he'd told her, pulling her from the wall and taking her to his bed. His blood was like strawberries: sweet then sour. She knew where the sourness came from, and yet the sweetness outweighed it. It was as if Torin had the blood of a virgin; one who'd just drank a bunch of lemon juice._

_The foolish comparisons to sweets didn't cloud her mind any more than the blood did. Torin was still Disease; he was still Death without wings. Lakena forced herself to detach herself from Torin's neck just as he laid her down on the bed. The look he was giving her was pleasure and need. It clouded his eyes, burned in his chest and was completely evident by the outline of his erection in his pants. Even before he shucked them, she knew he was bigger than she'd ever imagined. And that was saying something because she'd been with both Paris and Aeron._

_Lakena took a deep, shaky breath, and shook her head. "Torin," she gasped his name, and the harder she tried not to look as him, the easier she failed. She felt moisture pooling between her legs as Torin slowly crawled over her. "Torin, we can't."_

_"You've already bitten me. Do I need to bite you back?" his tone was dark. "I can feel it; how much you want me. I've watched over you for a thousand years and a millennia, Lakena. You can't lie to me." She took her head, but licked her lips. His hands were hot as they roamed her body, and suddenly he had her nipple in his mouth. Through the t-shirt, he pulled and sucked hard between his teeth and she found herself wrapping her legs around his waist. Lakena squirmed and begged, pleaded. But she knew he was right. She'd already bitten him, even if it was against her will. Disease was running the show, and running through her bloodstream..._

_Torin held her hands above her head with one hand, and forced her to take the assault of pleasure. For a man who hadn't touched another living thing in a thousand years, Torin knew exactly what he was doing. It was as if he knew her so well as to know how to make her scream his name. And that is exactly what he intended for her to do._

_Her nipples were peaks, and Torin was able to see its outline through the t-shirt. Her insides were melting by the time he released her, and his pants were getting soaked from where he was grinding against her; the friction just made Lakena even more aroused. From the way she was moaning and squirming, he could tell she was close to the edge. Then he did the unthinkable: he pulled her nipple into his mouth one last time, and let her go._

_Lakena's breathing was heavy, and Torin smiled, as if for a job well done..._

_Lakena arched her back, but Torin held her hips down. His hot hands burned her skin, and reddened her cheeks. "Torin..." she moaned his name, and he smiled._

_"All these years, I've waited to hear you say my name like that." He smiled down at her, watching her writhe beneath him. "Tell me, Kena..." Torin settled himself between her legs again, and slightly rolled his hips. Lakena knew what he was doing: he was making love to her without being inside of her. His erection pressed and only slightly probed, and she was dripping wet from his actions. For her, it was unbearable; for him, he'd been waiting for this moment, and she knew he would drag it out as long as he could. "How does this feel?" he asked her._

_She moaned in response. The fabric strained against his cock, and all she wanted was to have him buried deep inside of her. To think, she'd taken out her sexual frustration on Paris and Aeron, multiple times, and each time she wasn't fully sated. Now she knew Torin would do anything to have her scream his name, and she would gladly submit to him._

_"Oh, Gods, Torin..." she arched, grinded up into him. The tip of him probed her against, and she shook. "Please..."_

_"Please what?" he asked, smiling and grinding. He made like he was going to kiss her but he buried his face in her neck, sucking, tasting. She would have hickeys and bruises in the morning, she knew. He groaned, and she couldn't take it anymore; she was clawing at his back with need. "Say it."_

_"Please..."_

_"Say it," he growled._

_"Please, just fuck me!" she blurted out in a daze. "Please..."_

_He nipped her neck, and her earlobe. "I'll have you screaming, you know. Do you want the others to find out?" his voice was dark with sexual menace. Lakena, unable to speak, nodded. He nodded in repsonse, smiling in triumph, and crawled off of her._

_"Wha-" he stood at the end of the bed, and she looked at him. Her legs were spread before him and the t-shirt had been pushed up to her belly-button, but for some reason, she moved to push it between her legs. The way he was staring at her... Like a lion whose prey was within reach. He was sweating, which made sense. He was Disease..._

_"No," his voice was stern. "Let me see what I did to you." She moved the shirt, but his stare... Lakena wanted to know what Torin was seeing, and slowly felt herself. She was dripping wet! It was as if her insides were turning into liquids under his gaze. All she needed was a push and she might have an orgasm... Lakena started to finger herself as she stared him staring at her hand._

_She moaned, but forced herself to watch him. Her inner walls were so tight, and her finger felt like heaven. Lakena closed her eyes for a second and opened them to Torin pulling her ankles close._

_"Move," he commanded. Lakena obeyed, but not fast enough. He pulled her fingers out and replaced them with his palm. He palmed her ruthlessly, and stared into her eyes as he sucked on her fingers. Lakena, moaning and squirming, was powerless against him. "Tell me what you want."_

_"i told you..." she said in a small voice. _

_"Details."_

_"I want your... fingers- ah!" she gasped as he pushed a digit into her heated core. "Torin-"_

_"What else?"_

_"I'm going to-"_

_"No, you're not. Not if I have anything to say about it..." He released her then and moved back, leaving her barren if only for a moment. "Here, " he said. Torin took his time in moving down her inner thighs, looking her right in the eyes through the mirror. He could see how ready she was for him, and how close she was to an orgasm. He resigned to drag it out for as long as he could. She moaned before he could even reach her, and her hand tangled in his hair._

_"Please..." she whispered._

A loud moan interrupted Lakena's thoughts and forced her back into reality. She was starting to work herself up again.

With surprise, she noted that her hand was between her legs, and another hand- not her own -was lifting her leg to give herself deeper access. She was sitting up in bed, the sheets tangled in a pile around strong legs. Another strong hand was pinching her nipple between thumb and forefinger.

"Keep going," rumbling a voice. Lakena did as she was told, and soft kisses rained down on her neck, jaw, and shoulders. she realized she was facing a mirror in the corner of the room then she hadn't noticed before. At was at an angle from the bed that let her see every detail: her wide-spread legs, his twitching muscles, the way her held her body to his chest. And Torin was staring directly at her hand. He was rubbing her thighs and looked like he was close to either cumming or finishing her off. She could feel his hard cock pressed against her lower back.

She was nearly finished when Torin made a sound between a cry of pain and a growl. His hands moved and suddenly her fingers were in his mouth, her other fingers were tangled in his dark hair, and his fingers were deep inside, buried to her core.

"Torin!" she moaned and cried out, arching.

"Don't worry; I'm going to eat you alive." His tone was dark, and she screamed at the orgasm she experienced because of those words alone. Before she had a chance to do anything else, Torin was between her legs again. It wasn't his hands or his cock, but his tongue.

_He's literally eating me alive,_ she thought, moaning. Torin had her in the same position as last night, with her legs over his shoulders, and his hands gripping her hips to keep her elevated just enough. Lakena watched in the mirror, and for a moment, she thought her love life with Torin could rival that of Aphrodite and Adonis. Her dark hair was in tangles, her breasts bounced each time she tried to lift herself, and what she could see of Torin's muscles made her moan and tighten her grip in his hair.

There was nothing for her to do _but_ to scream. The orgasm was slow in building, and she was starting to get frustrated. His tongue delved deep and found her clitoris. The pressure he applied was driving her crazy, and all she wanted was an orgasm. Lakena writhed on the bed, but Torin kept her hips still as he slowly made a feast of her. Her body began to overheat, and her toes began to curl, but she still wasn't there.

"Gods, stop moving!" he told her. He moved up and put his nose to hers. "Taste yourself," he said, and dominating her mouth as he had so many times before. Lakena moaned as he pressed down on her. She wrapped her legs around Torn's waist, and he probed her.

"Damn you, ju- Aaahh!" Lakena screamed in surprise when Torin finally held her hips down and slammed into her. He embedded himself deep into her core, and she could feel his ejaculation in her womb. Wave after wave of wildfire hit her as he held her close to his body. The look of sated bliss on her face was reflected back in the mirror.

The smell of dried blood and Torin's dominance of her body nearly worked her into another frenzy. She recalled trying to leave at least two more times. And each time, Torin, who had managed to become a master of sex like Paris, would only let her get so close to the door. Before he pulled her against the wall and had her again. Surprisingly, Lakena didn't mind.

After all, she'd used the others for their blood, and the sex was just an aftermath. Paris and Aeron didn't argue either, but that was beside the point. She probably had bruises sprouting because Torin had his way with her. And he did a damn good job of not letting her go until they were both completely exhausted.

But now it was the morning after, and they'd broken all sorts of rules. Torin had drawn her into his room under false pretenses- or had she known what was happening all along? She'd bitten Torin and they'd as amazing, crazy sex that had her screaming his name. And now it was daybreak. How long before someone came looking? Hell, what time was it?

Looking around, Lakena saw a clock on the nightstand, one of the few things she and Torin hadn't wrecked. It was close to 11:00. Nearly all morning, and as far she she could tell, no one had come looking for them. Sighing, she forced herself to get out of bed, and searched for her t-shirt. She needed to leave, and she had to make sure that no one saw her.

"Torin," she said, rummaging through his drawer. She looked over, but he was still asleep. Making a noise, she shook her head, rummaging through the drawer, she found a clean shirt and boxers. Turning away from Torin, she pulled aside the curtains and pulled the shirt over her head.

"Where are you going?" Torin was directly behind her. She turned to look at him, but he stopped her with his hand on her thigh.

"Torin, no," she said. As much as she hated doing it, she stepped out of his grip. He was warm, and all her sore body wanted was to feel him inside her again. He gave her a look of hurt and wariness. Something flickered in his eyes; something dark.

"Lakena." his tone was sharp, and it made her frown.

"What is it?" she asked him. He closed his eyes, and sighed, slowly lifting the shirt. "Torin, I s-"

"I know what you said. Just wait." She had to nod and stand still because of the look in his eyes. Torin dropped to his knees at her side, and gently lifted the shirt from her body. "Oh, fuck me." He cursed.

"I already did. A few times in a row." She smirked.

"Now isn't the time for jokes, Kena. I'm so sorry." He stood and turned her around. "There are multiple bruises on your arms, and..."

"And what?" she'd already known about the bruises- she could feel them.

"I think you were cut with something. I don't really remember, but I think I may have bitten you..." He looked down at her with flushed cheeks, and a contradictory hard stare.

"You... bit me?" he nodded, and she smiled. "I think I'll live. I can't say the same for you though. Not when Lucien finds out what we did."

"Who said he had to know?"

"Torin, I bit you, which was complete extortion on your part," he scratched his head and looked guilty, "Then we had amazingly crazy monkey-sex, and even though it was possibly the best sex I'd ever had, and it was probably better than Paris, you're Disease. I shouldn't have touched you, and you shouldn't have tricked me."

"You think I'm better than Paris, the ultimate sex god and Keeper of Promiscuity?" Torin's face seemed to glow from within, and he grinned. Lakena blushed.

"Look, don't overestimate yourself," she quipped.

"Oh, god, Torin! Please, don't stop, I'm begging you! Just please, please don't stop! Oh, Torin!" his voice took on a falsetto note, and Lakena hit his arm.

"I never said that, extortionist!" Torin's face changed from a smile to a smirk, and Lakena was on her back on the bed. Torin settled himself between her legs, pressing down on her body and nuzzling her neck.

"You call this extortion, Kena? Be honest with me. Tell me you felt nothing. Tell me you just wanted to see what would happen if you bit me, if you followed me here. Tell me you took pity on the Keeper of Disease, who couldn't touch or be touched, who had to love everyone and everything from a distance, who was silently shunned by the brothers he loved all because he was deceived by Hope and tried to taste the sweetness of the forbidden fruit." She opened her mouth, but realized that she didn't know how to respond. She would just have to let him talk. She would just have to let him tell her the pain he'd felt for thousands of years.

"Since the day you were born, I loved you. Since the day I was created, I felt that I needed a higher calling; I had a higher purpose. I could only love you from afar, precious daughter of Zeus. I was cursed before Pandora, and I was be cursed for evermore, until last night. When I could finally hold you in my arms. When I could finally kiss you and touch you. For every human lifetime I suffered alone, watching you and loving you from a distance. I couldn't even get close enough to tell you how much I love you..."

Lakena felt her heart racing. Torin was shaking now, outright sobbing. She took a deep breath, nodding, feeling the tears rolling down her cheeks. Sighing, Lakena held Torin against her, and let him cry.

"With all my heart, that was all I ever wanted. I wanted to hold you and love you the way you couldn't be held or loved." He sucked in a breath, shaking. Torin was holding onto Lakena as if she were the only thing in the world that kept him alive.

"I had planned on coming to you and I remember how I had urged Aphrodite to make a potion to trick you. Funny, I only found out that it was simple ambrosia a while later, but by then it was too late. You were already cursed; we were already damned." Lakena closed her eyes, and sighed again.

"Now we both have what we wanted, but at what cost?"


End file.
